Garment-pressing machine.



T. D. PALMER.

GARMENT PRESSING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1o, 1908.

1, 1 14,645. Patented 001120, 1914 Z @Elib-g? UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFER 'rnnononn D. PALMER., or sYnAcUsE, New YORK, AssIGNon To -T.

PANY, or sYnAcUsE, tNnw YORK, A con'ronATIoN.

` GAnMENT-rnnssine MACHINE.

Specification of Iett'ers'latent.-

n PALMER ooMp-I,

Patented oet. 2o, 1914.

Application filed August 10, i908. Serial No.144.7,776.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it lmown that I, THnoooRE D. PALMER, l

of Syracuse, in the county of- Onondaga, in

the State of New York, 'have invented newA Aupper surface of the garm'ent thereby softening the nap so that when ,the mechanical pressure is relieved, the rapidity of escape of the steam from such surface not only restores thel nap but produces a rapid drying of the garment 'without saturating the underlying portions of such garment with moisture.

A further object is to prevent the accumulation of moisture of condensation at the edges of the .press head by providing the latter with amarginal steam conduit running entirely around its marginal edge in close proximity thereto so as to maintain a practically uniform degree of heat throughout the area of the presser face and particu larly along its marginal edges where it is most susceptible to cooling influences which also avoids any liability of overheating any part of the presser head as is some times the case with inexperienced handswhere flame burners are employed to` heat the head.

' vAnother specific object is `to divide the steam chamber into compartments and to provide means for supplying steam' to both compartments simultaneously or to either of the compartments separately when it 4is de- -sired to use only a portion of the presser `head at one time asV in pressing vests and other small garments.

, J A further object is to rovide the presser head with an auxiliarypresser plate 'adapted to be detachably interlfoeked therewith and' provided with a smooth presser face covering a portion of the foraminous bottom `so that the machine may be used to press the garment with either a dullor polished finish;- A further object is to provide means for introducing a sterilizing. fluid or perfume l -upo 'three-way valvel for controlling the supply n the garment simultaneously with the. application of steam' thereto.

Other objects and uses will be brought out in the following description.'

In vthe drawings-Figure l is atop plan of a portion of agarment press showing Various featuresof my invention. Figs. 2

and 3 are vertical and long gitudinalk sectional views taken-on lines 2 2 and 3 3, Fig; 1.

Fig.- 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a of steam tothe steam chambers in the .presser head. Fig. 5 is ajsectional view of a.

portion of a sup-plypipe through which` the steam andA disinfectinguid or perfume :is Y

introduced.

This garment press comprises a garment movable presser ,head 2f havi-ng a plu-l rality of, in this instance two, non-communieating steam chambers -3e to whichsteam is suppliedl individually or simultaneously 1n a manner hereinafter described. flhe buck -1 is stationary upon anysuit'abl'e support 4- andis provided with a steam chamber-- connected by a conduit 6; to any availablesource of steam supply, not shown, thechamber -5- being substantially Vcoextensivetwith the upper face lsupporting bed orbuck -.1-, a superposed of the buck for heating said upper face to a uniform degree substantially equal to the temperature of the steam thereby obviating any lla'blhty of burning the-garment which may restther'eon.l i

The presser head 2 is provided ,with a perforated concave bottom plate -7-. Substantially coextensive with the area .of the .upper face of the buck -1-'S and forms the bottom of the-steam'chambersf-Bpwhichv have a combined area' substantiallyequal to f that ,of the perforated plate so .as to -distribute steam .over practically the entire area of said plate.

The bottom of the perforated plate is covered by foraminous l-aminae and 9 the layer ,-v-8- consisting,'.in thisfin-1 stance, off awire gauze or screen while the bottom vlayer or resser face -9-- preferably made of fa ric thereby constituting the press cloth which comes indirect contact@ with the upperfaceof the garment aLd tovgeth'er with the foram'inou's layer. 8+ and` perforated plate '--7- v affords an effective l head means of distributing the steamievenl'y over` vthe upper surface of the garment while the latter 1s under mechanical pressure of the The marginal edges plate -7- is secured to the under side of the corresponding edges of the mam body -10- in which the chambers 3- are formed while the mar inal edges of the laminas -8- and -9- are also secured to theouter edges of the main body--lO- by -a suitable clamp -11- of strap iron or y other suitable, material capableiof beingref moved when necessaryvto `replace the press cloth or other lafninae constituting the bottom ofthe presser head.

' The chambers -3- are separated or divided rom each other by a suitable partition l2-1l which in this instance is formed integralA with the main body 1 0- and abuts against the upper face of the press plate -7- thereby serving the double purpose of holding the central portion of the presser face from undue upward f sprin R while the head is in its pressing position and y also-effectively separating the compartments one fromthe' other when it is desired to use either one independent of the other.

Each chamber is provided with a separate inlettport `-,13- and these portsv are cout nected by pipes lto a common valve garments.

1 temperature at this casing having a three-way valve 1G- as best seen in Fig. 4, sa'id valve casing having an inlet v-17-- which is connected by a pipe -18- to thesourceof steam supply, not

Vshown. Thisfvalve enables the steam to .be

diverted to either of the chambers f-S- 1ndep`endently ofthe other when it is desired to press simple garments, not requiring'the full area of the presser head or such steam may be simultaneously (introduced into both chambers when it is` desired to press larger Secured within each ofl the chambers -3- directly under the inlets are suitable permit the steam to pass entirely around the same.

The outer marginal edges of the presser head, which are somewhat remote from the steam walls are more or less susceptible to `cooling influences especially during- 'the opera'tlon of the presser head to and from the buck and in order to maintain a proper ortion of the presser head, I provide said ead with a marginal steam conduit or chamber -20T running entirely "around and preferably formed in the marginal edge of the main body -10-, the latter being usually made of cast metal. This marginal channel or conduit -20- is connected by a'steam pipe ,-21 to the of the perforated.

source of supply, not' shown, and is also pro vided With a suitable drip conduit 22- for the return flow of any water'of condensation, which may accumulate in the conduit 20, the latter being separate from the steam chambers 3-. By the use of this marginal steam chamber -20-, I not only avoid the use of separate flame burners but also obviate any liability of overheating the presser head as is sometimesv th'e case when the machine is used by inexperienced operators, where ame burners for heating the head are employed.

The use of the press cloth or foraminous presser face 9 gives a somewhat dull finish to the garment and in some instances it is desirable to give the whole or a portion of such garment a polished finish and in order that this may be speedily and economicallyaccompli'shed I provide a portion of the head with a metal presser plate 23-V slidably interlockedwith the main body of the presser head and having its lower portion extending across and under a portion of the press clothJ--9- and in close proximity thereto, thereby cutting off direct application of steam to a surface fof the garment corresponding to the area of the auxiliary presser plate, the lower surface of said auxiliary presser plate being smooth so as to impart a polished finish to the upper face of the garment against which it may be pressed.

The entire presser liead is movable vertically to and rom'the upper face vof the buck -land is preferably hinged at the rear thereof to la suitable supporting .frame -26- which holds theApresser head against endwise movement. 'This presser head is usually made tapering from end to end and when it is desiredto use the presser plate -23--, the latter is interlocked with the small end of the head in the manner previously described and for this purpose is providedwith an inturned marginal ange -22-- extending around the small end and sides thereof and adapted to engage andinterlock with the marginal edges of the main body of the presser head although other` v means of holding such auxiliary press plate ion on the presser head may be substituted Without departing from the spirit of this invention. When it is desired to use the presser head Without the auxiliary presser plate '-23-, the latter maybe withdrawn end wise therefrom and laid aside.

It is sometimes desirable to apply a dis- .infectant Huid or perfume to the upper survface of the garment simultaneously with the steam theretoy andv for this purpose I have provided a reservoir 30- Which is connected by a flexible pipe l-31 to a suitable garment to be readily yupper surface of .the garment while the latter is under pressure thereby softening and of the steam, it being understood that what` vtime alding lin expeditiously drying such lieved.

" and cut oli' from communication with said permanently associated pressing elements nozzle 32--, the latter in this instance entering the steam supply pipe near its junction with the valve -16- in such manner that the inflowing steam into ythe presser head will draw a small quantity of the contents of the receptacle .30- into the steam distributing chamber from which it is projected through the foraminous bottomv on to the surface ofl the garment. The reservoir -30- may be disposed in any suitable plane and adapted to feed its contents independently of the steam or to be drawn into the steam chamber by suction produced by t-he passage of steam across the nozzle 32-, the flow of the fluid from the receptacle -30- to the presser head beingA controlledV by a suitable valve -33-.

ln operation, thepresser head ,-73- is normally elevated or rocked upwardly some distance abovel the buck -1 to permit the placed on the latter and when properly posltioned for pressing, the presser head is rocked downwardly by any well known means either by handor foot power until its presser face is in lirm contact with the upper face of the garment whereupon the valve -16- may be opened to admit steam to either one or both of the chambers. This steam is forced through the foraminous presser plate and against the sterilizing the nap so that as soon as the mechanical pressure is removed by the upward movement of the presser head, the steam 'which is more or less in the matted nap will immediately escape upward thereby raising the nap andat the same time effectively drying the upper` surface of the garment by reason of therapid evaporation little moisture there may be in the steam is applied only to the upper surface of the garment and in no case does it pass through the garment as in sponging machines.

The heat developed by the introduction of steam into the marginal channel or conduit -20- is conducted to the garment at practically the same temperature as the steam thereby obviating any -liability of burning of the garment and at the same garment as soon as the steam pressure is shut ofi' and the mechanical. pressure re- 1. 4A steam clothes press comprising a buck and a press-head having a steam chamber provided with a foraminous bottom, said press-head being also provided Jwith a steam conduit running around its marginal edge steam chamber. .f 2.y In a garment pressing machine, two

a press-head having disposed one above the other, the upper ele-` compartments and means Jfor preventin the escape of steam'from the of said compartments* 3. In a garment pressing machine, two permanently `associated presser elements disposed one above( the other, the upper elementbeing movable toward and from the lower element and provided with a steam perforations o one chamber having a, foraminous bottom, and

an auxiliary imperforate presser plate detachably interlocked with the upper ele ment and extending partially across the` foraminous bottom.

4. In a garment pressmg machine, a sup-v vporting bed for the garment having asteam chamber, and an imperforate top, a superposed presser head permanently associated with and movable toward and from the bed vandvalso having aoraminous bottom whereby steam may be-applied to the u per surface of the garment, and an imper 'crate presser plate secured to the presser head and extending across. the 'under side ofthe steam pervious bottom.

5. In a garment pressing machine, two permanently associated pressing elements rovide'd with a steam chamber disposed one above the other, the upper element being movable toward and from the lower element and provided vwith a steam chamber havin a `steam pervious bottom whereby steam 51s applied to the upper surface of the garmennwhile the latter is underpressureysaid head bein provided with a steam conduit separate om the steam chamber, and steam pi es'leading to said chamber and to the conduit.

6. In a garment pressingmachina a buck,

a steam' chamber provided witha foramlnous bottom, means for introducing steam into the chamber, and additional means for introducing a disinfect' ing fluid into the same chamber whereby both the steam and disinfecting Huid may be projected through the foraminous bottom and against. the surface ofthe garment.

7. A steam clothes press, comprising-two pressing elements one of which is providedl with a steam chamber having a foraminous presser face,.a steam supply pipeAconnected to said chamber and a lsupply pipe for a disinfectant connectedl to the-'steam pipe whereby steam and a'disinfe'ctant may be 4'simultaneouslyintroduced, into the chamber.

8. .In a garment pressing machine, vtwo coacting pressing elements having prem plates of substantially uniform size and shape, one of said elements having non-'communicating steam chambers, the upper Wall of one chamber forming the bottom Wall of the other chamber, and means for supplying steam to both chambers.

9. In a garment pressing machine, two coasting pressing elements, one of said elements having non-communicating steam chambers and a perforated press plate form-,VA

ing one side of one of the chambers, the opposlte side of the latter chamber lforming one side of the other chamber, and 'means for supplying steam to both of saidfchambers.

10. In a garment pressing machine,v two 'coacting pressing elements, one of said elements having non-communicating steam,

chambers and a perforated press-plate forming one side of one of the chambers, the

opposite side of the latter chamber forming 2p one side of the other chamber, and means for intermittingly supplying steam to the chamber having the perforated side irrespective of the other chamber.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set 25 

